Remote control grapple carriage



United States Patent [72] Inventor John R. Mitchell [56] References Cited 400 W. CUlliS'SL, Aberdeen, Washington UN E STATES PATENTS 98520 3,083,839 4/1963 McIntyre 1. 212/87 {3;} Q 332 1968 3,245,712 4/1966 Mitchell 294/112 9 Patented Nov. 17,1970 3,407,942 10/1968 McIntyre et al. 212/84 Primary ExaminerAndres H. Nielsen Attorney-Clarence A. OBrien and Harvey B. Jacobson ABSTRACT: A grapple carriage riding on a skyline capable of [54] gg g CARRIAGE being slackened and tightened, and having a grapple supanus raw ported therefrom with means for opening and closing the [52] U.S. Cl. 294/111, grapple for gripping and releasing a log. The means includes a 294/106, 212/84. 212/87 remote control so that an operator may cause opening or clos- [51] Int. Cl 1. B66c 1/00- ing of the grapple from a remote point. A haulback line is con- [50] Field ofSearch 2l2/84, 87, nected with the carriage for moving it along the skyline for 89, 94, 96, 97, 90, 96; 294/] I2, 106, 110, I ll positioning the grapple during a logging operation.

1/1 IIIIIIII/II III/lI/IIQfiI/I/l/I IIIIIIII'I Sheet Ja/m H. Mitchell INVIiNTOR.

Patented Nov, 17, 1970 3,540,770

Sheet 3X01 3 John H. Mitchell 1N VIiNTOR.

REMOTE CONTROL GRAPPLE CARRIAGE Carriages with grapples thereon which may be employed in various logging operations are generally well known. While such devices operate, one of the problems existent in the field is operation of the grapple on theicarriage to'effectively pick up the log, convey it to another desired location and then release it. Accordingly, it is an object of the presentinvention to provide a grapple carriage having agrapple supported therefrom together with means carried by the carriage for operating the grapple.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a grapple carriage in accordance with the preceding object incorporating remote control means to enable operation of the grapple from a remote position.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a grapple carriage including an auxiliary power means mounted thereon in the form of an internal combustion engine for supplying power for operating the grapple with the engine driving a compressor for supplyingpower for operating the grapple.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a grapple carriage having-an air compressor mounted thereon for supplying power for operating the grapple together with a drive arrangement engaged with the skyline so that as the carriage is moved along the skyline. the air compressor will be actuated for supplying power to operate the grapple.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a grapple carriage which is relatively simple in construction, dependable and effective in operation and relatively inexpensive to manufacture, operate and maintain.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described andv claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the grapple carriage of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view with the side plate of the housing removed illustrating the structural features and orien-' tation ofthe components of the invention;

FIG. 3 is a plan, sectional view taken substantially upon a plane passing along section line 3 3 of FIG. 2 illustrating further structural details ofthe inventiom.

FIG. 4 is a vertical, sectional view taken substantially upon a plane passing along section line 4-4 of FIG. 2 illustrating further structural details of the invention;

FIG. 5 is a side elevational view similar to FIG. 2 but illustrating a modified form ofthe invention;

FIG. 6 is a vertical, sectional view taken substantially upon a plane passing along section line 6-6 of FIG. 5 illustrating further structural details of this embodiment of the'invention;

and

FIG. 7 is a fragmental elevational view with the housing in section illustrating another embodiment of the invention similar'to that illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 6.

Referring now specifically to the drawings, the grapple carriage of the present invention is generally designated by the numeral 10 and suspends a grapple tong generally designated by the numeral 12 from a skyline 14. The grapple tong 12 lllustrated is the same as that disclosed in prior US. Pat. No.

3,245,712, issued Apr. I2, 1966. The skyline 14 is connected to suitable apparatus by which it may be slackened or tightened. For examplefone endof the skyline may be anchored to a stump, spar or the like and the other end connected with a suitable device having a winch associated therewith such as a logger with this procedure being well known in the high lead logging art. Thus, by slackening or tightening the skyline 14, the grapple'carriage l0 and the grapple tong 12 associated therewith may be lowered .to a position immediately above a log to be grabbed and elevated back to an elevated position by tightening the skyline 14 after the grapple tong 12 has grabbed a log. The carriage 10 is then moved longitudinally of the skyline 14 either by gravity or a I haulback line or main line depending upon the direction in which the carriage 10 is to be moved. For example, if the logs are to be conveyed to a higher elevation, the loaded grapple tongand carriage will be pulled upwardly along the skyline 14 by a main line or haulback line and gravity may be employed to return the carriage to a desired location for another pickup of logs. As illustrated, the carriage 10 includes a housing 16 which may be of any suitable configuration but is preferably rectangular in configuration and provided with a top wall 18. a bottom 20, side walls 22 and end walls 24 which may have brackets 26-thereon for connection with the haulback line or main line. One of the side walls 20 is in the form ofa removable plate secured in place by a plurality of bolt-type fasteners 28 or the like and anaccess door 30 may also be provided in the side wall 20 with the door 30 being hinged along its bottom edge by hinges 32 and secured in closed position by fastening lugs 34.

' The top wall 16 is provided with a pair of spaced pulleys or grooved rollers 36 which rollingly engage the upper surface of the skyline 14 which is in the form ota cable or the like. Each pulley 36 is jourmilcd by an axle 38 supported by brackets 40 for rotation. An arcuute shield 42 is provided across the top edge of the mounting brackets 40 to protect the pulleys 36.

The brackets 40 are pivotally supported from the top wall 18 by a hinge structure 44 by which one side of the pulley ussen'ibly may be pivoted downwardly to enable entry of the skyline 14 into underlying engagement with the pulley 36. Any

suitable means may be provided for releasably retaining the,

supporting brackets 40 in upstanding parallel relation and to selectively enable either of the brackets 40 to pivot input pulley 5 8 of the air compressor 46. The components may be supported-in any convenient manner from the housing such as by the use of a supporting partition plate 60 disposed horizontally belowthe top wall 18. The air, reservoir tank is communicated with one end of a cylinder 62 of a piston and, cylinder assembly 64 mounted horizontally below the plate 60 with the piston, and cylinder assembly 64 also including a piston rod 66 reciprocally disposed in relation to the cylinder 62 so that as air is admitted into the end of the cylinder 62 adjacent to itspoint of supporting connection with the end wall 24 as indicated at 68, the piston rod 66 will be moved outwardly from the cylinder 62 in a well-known manner.

Mounted on the outer end of the piston rod 66 is a closed loop mounting block 70 which rotatably supports a pulley or sheave 72 which has a cable 74 entrained thereover with one end of the cable beinganchored to the housing by a bracket 76. The other end ofthe cable 74 extends generally parallel to and alongside of the piston rod66 and over a pulley or sheave met or adapter 82 in the bottom wall 19 and is connected with the grapple tong 12 in a manner described hereinafter. The pulley mounting block 72 is slidingly supported on guide rails 84 which extend longitudinally along the bottom portion of the housing 16. For maintaining tension on the cable 74, a flexible cable 86 is anchored tothe pulley mounting block 70 as indicated at 88 and is entrained over a pulley 90 supported by a suitable bracket on the end portion 24 of the housing 16 and then extends longitudinally of the housing 16 with the terminal end of the cable 86 being engaged with a tension spring 92 as indicated at 94 with the other end of the spring 92 being anchored to the opposite end wall 24.from the pulley 90 as indicated at 96 so that a constant tension is provided for the opening cable 74 for the grapple tongs 12. With this construction, when air is admitted to the cylinder 62, the pulley 72 will be moved outwardly thus moving the opening cable 74 in a linear manner to open the grapple tong 12 in a manner described hereinafter.

As stated previously, the details of construction-of the grapple tong is disclosed in prior U.S. Pat. No. 3,245,712 but is described briefly to set forth the operation of the present invention with the grapple tong 12 being supported from the housing by a lug 98 on the undersurface of the bottom wall of the housing 16 with a U-shaped clevis 100 engaged with the lug and supporting a link 102 for universal movement with the link 102 pivotally supporting a pair of lugs 104 engaged with a pivot bo!t 106 which supportingly engage a pair of oppositely extending links 108 which have their respective outer endspivotally attached by pivot bolts or pins 110 to the upper ends respectively of a pair of crossed gripping jaws 112 and 114 which are pivotally interconnected by a bolt or pin 116 at their point of intersection so that the links 108, the pivot points 106 and 116 and the pivot points 110 serve as a parallelogram linkage. The portions of the jaws 112 and 114 below the pivot pin 116 are curved inwardly with their inner faces being provided with recesses 118 and each jaw is provided with a lateral generally triangular projection 120 on the side surface thereof. The opening cable 74 extends downwardly through a guide ferrule on one of the links 108 and then under a pulley 122 and thus upwardly to an anchor plate on the other of the links 108 so that when tehsion is exerted on the cable 74 so that it is moved, this will cause the pivot pin 116 to move toward the pivot pin 106 thus opening the jaws 112 and 114. When force on the cable 74 is released, the normal load of the jaws and the fact that they are supported from the pivot point 106 will cause the jaws 112 and 114 to move inwardly due to normal force of gravity. The specific details and construction of the grapple tong 12 is more specifically disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,245,712. Also, it is pointed out that the lug 98 and, of course, the corresponding structure of thegrapple tong is disposed at an angle to the longitudinal axis of the housing 16 as perhaps best illustrated in FIG. 3 with the plane of the jaws 112 and 114 being substantially at a 45 angle to the longitudinal axis ofthe housing 16. 1

For operating the internal combustion engine 50, a storage battery 130 is provided together with a FM radio receiver decoder 132 which is a commercially available item and will detect signals from a transmitter. A manual switch 134 is provided on the receiver 132 by which the receiver may be actuated manually. The operating button forthe switch 134 may be exposed through the wall of the housing to enable access thereto for turning on the receiver,132 when a logging operation is to commence. Also, the internal combustion engine 50 may be started by the operator at the beginning of a logging operation and hewill at that time also normally fill the fuel tank through a filler cap 136 which also is accessible through the wall of the housing 16. If desired, an automatic starting device maybe provided for the internal combustion engine 50 but since the radio receiver which is electrically connected to the battery 130 must also be turned on, the engine 50 could be started at the same time w th, of course, the electrical ignition system of the engine 50 being connected with the storage bat-' tery 130 in a conventional manner.

The air tank 48 is provided with a safety valve 138 t prevent excess pressure buildup by operation of the compressor thus preventing any possible damage to the air lines 140 or any other component of the system. Communicated with the air tank is a discharge line air line 140 having a flow control valve 142 therein which may be a pressure reduction valve, check valve to control the flow from the air tank 48 to a normally closed three-way solenoid operated valve 144. From the valve 144, the air passes through a lubricator and filter as scmbly 146 and then through a momentary valve which locks the ram or piston and cylinder assembly in extended position for eliminating drain on the solenoid and battery. A pilot valve 150 is associated with the solenoid three-way valve 144 and a ratchet relay 152 is connected with the pilot valve, battery, radio receiver and engine for proper operation thereof.

The embodiment of the invention illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 6 operates in substantially the same manner as the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 1--4 except that the compressor is'driven by a chain drive 162 extending up through the top of the housing and is driven by a sprocket gear 164 fixedly associated with a pulley 166 which rideson and is driven by the skyline 14 during movement of the grapple carriage 10' therealong. Thus, as the grapple carriage 10 is moved along the-skyline 14, the pulley 166 will be rotated due to its supporting engagement with the skyline 14 thus driving the compressor 160 and providing compressed air to the compressed air tank 48'. The remainder of the control structure as to the battery, receiver, ratchet relay, pilot valve, control valve, three-way valve, lubricator and filter and momentary valve all are the same as employed in the embodiment of the invention illustrated in FIGS. 14 and the same reference numerals are employed therewith.

A multiple stage piston and cylinder assembly 168 is supported in the bottom of the housing and includes telescopic pistons 170 and 172 with the piston 172 having a pulley supporting block 174 on the outer end thereof for rotutubly supporting a pulley I76 thereon. The pulley 176 receives a tension cable 178 having the free end thereof anchored to an anchor bracket 180 and the other end thereof extending downwardly over a pulley 182, through the bottom of the housing and into associated relationship to the grapple tong 12 which is identical to the grapple tong disclosed in connection with the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 1-4. Thus, by expanding the piston and cylinder assembly 168. the cable 174 ,may be moved thus serving to open the grapple tongs 12' and 178 in place and also serves as a brake actuator whichengages a brake lever which actuates a brake 192 which will assure that the carriage'is retained in a stationary position when the grapple tong 12 is open.

The housing is provided with anchor lugs 194 at each end thereof which'may provide a choker cable support ifa choker cable is to be employed for connection with the carriage or the grapple tong may be supported therefrom as an emergency standby arrangement. Also brackets 196 are provided on each end for the haulback line or main line. The end configuration of the housing may be varied but by tapering the end of the housing as illustrated in FIGS. 1--4, if it engages any obstructions, it will cam itself past such obstructions without stopping movement of the carriage.

FIG. 7 illustrates another slightly modified form of the invention in which the compressor 200 is driven from a pair of pulleys or wheels 202 supported from a vertically movable frame member 204 carried by the housing with a compression coil spring 206 biasing the frame 204 and the pulleys or wheels 202 into frictional engagement with the skyline 14 so that as the carriage moves along the skyline 14, the compressor 20 will be driven through a drive chain 208 which may be in the form of a steel roller chain, driving belt or the like which also is an alternative which may be employed in the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 6. The two pulleys or wheels 202 are preferably rubber covered to increase the frictional engagement with the skyline 14.

While pneumatic piston andcylinder assemblies have been illustrated, it is also clearly possible to employ hydraulic piston and cylinder assemblies with a hydraulic pump being employed rather than an air compressor to provide for the storage of energy in the carriage for operating the grapple tong. Any type of internal combustion engine may be employed such as a diesel engine, gasoline engine or the like and 1 either a solenoid momentary valve or a ratchet relay may be support at one end' and is connected to a yarder at the other end so that it can be slackened or loosened and tightened with the grapple carriage riding on the skyline so that it can be raised and lowered by the slackening and tightening of the skyline, The haulback line or main line is fastened to the carriage and serves as the yarding line for causing transitory movement of the carriage on the skyline. The radio receiver opens and closes the grapple in a manner so that each subsequent signal causes the grapple tong to sequentially open and close, that is, when one'signal is received, the grapple will close and the next signal will open the grapple with this sequence being continuous.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only ofthe principlcs of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described. and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope ofthe invention.

lclaim:

l, A grapple carriage comprising a housing, means movably supporting said housing from a skyline, a grapple tong sup ported from said housing, means connected with said tong for opening same, means carried by said housing for remote control of said tong opening means, saidgrapple tong including a pair of crossed jaws. said means for opening said tong including an opening cable which will open the jaws of. the tong when the cable is moved toward the housing, and power means operating said opening cable, said power means including an expandable and'contractible piston and cylinder assembly connected with said housing, said opening cable having one end anchored with respect to the housing, said piston and cylinder assembly having a pulley thereon engaging a midline portion of the opening cable whereby expansion and contraction of the piston and cylinder assembly will cause movement of the pulley thus causing linear movement of the opening cable for opening the tongs,

2. The structure as defined in claim 1 wherein said piston and cylinder assembly is a pneumatic piston and cylinder assembly, an air compressor carried by said housing and including an air reservoir communicated with said piston and cylinder assembly, and means driving said air compressor.

3. The structure as defined in claim 2. wherein said means driving the air compressor includes an internal combustion engine drivingly connected with the air compressor.

4.. The structure as defined in claim 2. wherein said-means for driving the compressor includes'a pulley in rolling frictional contact with the skyline for rotation during movement ofthe housing along the skyline, and means drivingly interconnecting the pulley and the compressor for driving the compressor in response to movement of the housing along the skyline.

5. The structure as defined in claim 4. in which said pulley for driving the compressor also forms at least a part of said means movably supporting the housing from the skyline.

6. The structure as defined in claim 4. wherein said pulley is resiliently supported from the housing and resiliently urged into engagement with the skyline for drivingly engaging the skyline during movement ofthe housing therealong.

'7. The structure as defined in claim 2. wherein said piston and cylinder assembly for moving the opening cable includes brake means thereon for stopping the compressor and the drive means therefor when the tong opening cable is actuated.

8. The structure as defined in claim 1 wherein said remotely controlled means includes a radio receiver carried by said housing for controlling operation ofthe tong opening means in response to asignal received from a remote transmitter.

.In combination with a skyline capable of being slackc ned and tightened, a grapple carriage comprising a housing, means movably supporting said housing for linear movement on said skyline, a grapple tong fixedly-depending from said housing and supported therefrom. means carried by the carriage and connected with said tong for opening said tong when the skyline, is slackened and the grapple carriage lowered for engaging a log, said tong being closed and gripping the log when the tong opening means is rendered inoperative and the skyline is tightened and the carriage elevated, said means for opening the tong including a fluid pressure operated piston and cylinder assembly, means operatively interconnecting the piston and cylinder assembly and the tong for opening the tong, and means carried by said housing for supplying power to actuate said piston and cylinder assembly.

10. The combination as defined in claim 9. wherein said means for supplying power to the piston and cylinder assembly includes an air compressor driven from a wheel in frictional engagement with the skyline.

11. The structure as defined in claim 9. wherein said grapple tongs includes a pair of crossed jaws, said means for opening said tong including an opening cable operatively associated with the point of intersection of the crossed jaws for opening the jaws of the .tong when the opening cable is moved toward the housing, saidpi'ston and cylinder assembly having one end connected with the housing, the other end of the piston and ing the air tank with a piston and cylinder assembly, and

remotely controlled means controlling said valve for controlling operation of the piston and cylinder assembly thereby controlling opening of the tong from a remote point, said piston and cylinder assembly having the longitudinal axis thereof generally paralleling the skyline to enable vertical height of the housing to be maintained at a minimum. 

